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| The Role of Graduate Students in Designing, Teaching, and Managing Behavior Analysis Courses |
| Monday, May 31, 2004 |
| 3:00 PM–4:20 PM |
| Beacon A |
| Area: TBA/EDC; Domain: Applied Research |
| Chair: Susan R. Miller (University of North Texas) |
| Discussant: Sigrid S. Glenn (University of North Texas) |
| Abstract: . |
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| Overview of Design, Development, Delivery, and Management of Online Behavior Courses |
| LESLIE S. BURKETT (University of North Texas) |
| Abstract: This paper will summarize the content of the undergraduate Basic Principles course and the four online graduate courses, including the instructional goals, course components, and the learning contingencies. The wide variety of course activities used to teach behavioral concepts and skills are highly interactive, requiring a high rate of relevant student responding and delivering immediate feedback and reinforcement. They include programmed text, interactive text study guides and audio lectures, fluency exercises, multimedia simulations and demonstrations, and frequent quizzes. Over the past 4 years, graduate students have participated with instructors on an instructional technology team that meets biweekly to design and develop the course activities. Graduate students help write and test quiz and study guide items; write scripts and storyboards for computer simulations; participate as actor in the demonstration movies; identify gaps in the instruction based on student progress data and then create or revise course content to fill the gaps. In the administration of the courses, handle student questions and problems and provide tutoring (via email for the online courses); monitor student progress and handle recordkeeping; evaluate student assignments, providing feedback as needed; and provide technical support for students with computer problems. |
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| Graduate Students as Instructional Designers, Course Managers, and Tutors for Online Behavior Analysis Courses |
| TANYA BAYNHAM (University of North Texas), Thomas Anatol Da Rocha Woelz (University of North Texas), Brook B. Wheetley (University of North Texas), Aimee C. Burkett (University of North Texas) |
| Abstract: In this presentation, graduate students will describe their roles and tasks in the development and delivery of graduate online courses in behavior analysis. Instructional design tasks include creating study guide questions for a research article, testing the activity for reliability, revising with instructional design team input, monitoring student data, and revising again based on student data and feedback. More creative design tasks involve designing a computer simulation to teach an applied behavioral skill, including component skill analysis, scripting or storyboarding, working with programmers or learning to program to accomplish the instructional objectives, then testing, revising, and delivering the activity to students. Two graduate students will show activities they have designed and explain the design process and rationale for these activities. In addition, they will describe their role in managing the online courses, including handling student questions and problems, managing student data, providing tutoring, evaluating student work and providing feedback, and motivating students to complete the work on time and revise their work when necessary. Data will show time allocated to these tasks, and the students will provide their perspective on the responsibilities and opportunities for graduate students working in the area of online learning. |
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| Managing the On-Campus Introductory Behavior Analysis Courses |
| JOSEPH L. CERMAK (University of North Texas), Nicole L. Bank (University of North Texas) |
| Abstract: We will describe a system used for teaching on-campus sections of an introductory undergraduate course on behavior principles. The system involves three layers of personnel. Teaching Assistants (TA’s) are graduates and undergraduates responsible for grading assignments and tutoring students; Teaching Fellows (TF’s) are graduate students who have primary responsibility for developing and delivering interactive lectures, in-class exercises, and tests; and TF supervisors guide and rehearse TF’s in developing and presenting interactive lectures, conduct weekly staff meetings, see that consistency is maintained across sections, and manage the overall system. Formal and informal feedback occurs at all levels. TF supervisors give feedback to TF’s on their teaching and professional skills, TF’s give feedback to TA’s on their tutoring and teaching skills, and all participants give feedback to TF’s following practice lectures at weekly meetings. Self-paced progression through the system is encouraged by allowing TF duties to be taken on once mastery of TA duties has been shown. |
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